AI can be useful when you have a problem to solve but aren’t sure where to start.
You don’t always need AI to give you the answer.
Sometimes you need help breaking a problem down, looking at your options or thinking through what might happen next.
AI can help you organise your thoughts, ask useful questions, explore different approaches and identify things you may not have considered.
But remember an important principle from earlier lessons:
AI can help you think. You still decide what to do.
Start by Defining the Problem
When something feels difficult, it can help to explain the problem clearly before looking for a solution.
Instead of asking:
“How do I fix this?”
try telling AI what is actually happening.
For example:
“My garden doesn’t get much sunlight, and the plants I’ve tried keep dying. I want to grow some vegetables but I’m not sure what will work.”
Now AI has something useful to work with.
It can help you identify possible causes and suggest questions or options to explore.
The clearer you can describe the problem, the more useful the conversation is likely to be.
Break the Problem Into Smaller Parts
Some problems feel overwhelming because they contain several smaller problems at once.
AI can help you separate them.
You could say:
“I’m finding it difficult to manage my household expenses. Help me break the problem into smaller areas I can look at one at a time.”
AI might suggest looking at regular bills, variable spending, subscriptions, savings and other areas.
You don’t have to follow its structure exactly.
The value may simply be that a problem that felt complicated now feels more manageable.
Ask AI to Help You Explore Options
Once you understand the problem, you can ask AI to help you identify different ways of approaching it.
For example:
“I’m trying to decide whether to repair my old laptop or replace it. Give me the main options and the factors I should consider.”
AI can help you create a list of possibilities that you can then examine more closely.
You can also ask:
“What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?”
This can help you see beyond the first solution that comes to mind.
Think About Trade-Offs
Many decisions don’t have one perfect answer.
One option may be cheaper but take more time.
Another may be easier but cost more.
A third option may offer the best long-term result but require more effort now.
These are trade-offs.
AI can help you identify them.
You could ask:
“Compare these three options and show me what I gain and what I give up with each one.”
Seeing the trade-offs can make a decision clearer.
But remember:
The best option depends on what matters most to you.
Ask “What Am I Missing?”
One of the most useful questions you can ask AI when solving a problem is:
“What haven’t I considered?”
You can also ask:
“What could go wrong with this approach?”
Or:
“What questions should I answer before making this decision?”
These questions encourage you to look beyond the obvious answer.
AI may identify something you hadn’t thought about.
You then decide whether that information is actually relevant to your situation.
Work Through a Problem Step by Step
You don’t have to ask AI for a complete solution immediately.
You can work through a problem together.
For example, you could say:
“Help me work through this decision step by step. Ask me one question at a time and don’t recommend a solution until you’ve understood my situation.”
This can be particularly useful when the problem depends on information that only you can provide.
Instead of AI guessing, you can gradually give it the context it needs.
This connects directly to what you learned about giving AI clear instructions:
A good prompt gives AI a better starting point.
Don’t Confuse an AI Suggestion With the Right Answer
AI can produce a convincing solution very quickly.
That doesn’t mean the solution is automatically right for you.
Ask yourself:
Does this actually solve my problem?
Does it fit my circumstances?
What could I be overlooking?
What would happen if I followed this advice?
And if the decision is important, remember what you learned earlier:
Check important information against reliable sources.
For high-stakes decisions, AI should help you prepare and think — not replace appropriate professional advice.
Use AI to Test Your Thinking
AI can also be useful after you’ve already formed an opinion.
Instead of asking it to tell you what to do, you could say:
“This is the solution I’m considering. Challenge my thinking and tell me what weaknesses or risks you can see.”
You could then ask:
“Now give me the strongest argument for my approach.”
This gives you an opportunity to examine your own thinking from more than one direction.
Remember:
Thinking critically means staying involved in the thinking process.
Let’s Make It Practical
Think of a small, real problem you’re currently trying to solve.
It could be something around the house, a personal project, organising your time or deciding between two options.
Ask AI:
“Help me work through this problem step by step. First, ask me questions so you understand the situation.”
Answer its questions.
Then ask:
“Identify the main options, explain the advantages and disadvantages, and tell me what I might be missing.”
Read the response carefully.
Then ask yourself:
“What do I think?”
Don’t simply accept AI’s suggestion because it sounds convincing.
Decide what makes sense for your situation.
You’ve just practised using AI as a thinking partner rather than an answer machine.
What You’ve Learned
AI can be useful when you’re trying to solve a problem or make a decision.
Remember:
- Clearly describe the problem.
- Break complicated problems into smaller parts.
- Explore different options.
- Look at trade-offs.
- Ask what you might be missing.
- Work through difficult problems step by step.
- Challenge your own thinking.
- Keep your judgement involved.
You don’t need AI to solve every problem for you.
Sometimes its greatest value is helping you slow down, organise your thinking and see the situation more clearly.
The goal isn’t to hand your problems over to AI.
It’s to use AI to help you think through them more effectively.
AI can help you think through individual problems.
Next, we’ll take the next step and look at how you can combine several AI-assisted tasks into a simple workflow.
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